Sewing device for surgical operations.



F. HAHN & R. GRAP.

SEWING DEVICE FOR SURGICAL OPERATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30, 1910.

1,009,065, PatentedN0v.21,1911.

2 8HEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-,WASHINUTON, D. C-

F. HAHN & R. GRAF.

SEWING DEVICE FOR SURGICAL OPERATIONS. APPLICATION FILED APR.30,1810.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTDN n c Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

1 area.

FLORIAN HAHN AND RUDOLF GRAF, OF NUREMBERG, GERMANY.

SEWING DEVICE FOR SURGICAL OPERATIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application filed April 30, 1910. Serial No. 558,574.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FLoRIAN HAHN and RUDoLr GRAF, of Nuremberg,Bavaria, Germany, have invented an Improvement in or Relating to SewingDevices for Surgical Operations, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification.

This invention relates to a sewing device for surgical operations, whichis particularly suitable for sewing openings produced when surgicaloperations are performed on the intestines and stomach, and has for itsobject to make the seam as quickly and as uniformly as possible, and inthat way to reduce considerably the time of the operation, in theinterests of the recovery of the patient. This is effected by guiding ina positive manner on a longitudinally slotted forceps holding the edgesof the wound to be closed, a small sewing machine which is moved bymeans of hand levers or cranks, in

such manner that by depressing the hand lever or rotating the crank, themachine is automatically advanced to the extent of a stitch. Oneconstruction of such a sewing device in which the sewing machine ismoved by means of a hand lever, is illustrated in Figures 13 of theaccompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 an end view. Fig.4 is a front elevation of a modified embodiment of this invention. Fig.5 is a side elevation of said modification, and Fig. 6 is a detail viewthereof.

As will be seen from the drawing, the forceps 1 which for the rest is ofthe usual construction, is provided at its two jaws 2 3 withlongitudinal slots and carries on the upper jaw a bar 4 also providedwith a longitudinal slot and engaging with one end over a pin 5 securedto the jaw 3, and near the other end being held by means of a lug 6 anda bolt 7 secured to the jaw 2 and carry ing a thumb nut. This bar 4 isprovided throughout the whole of its length with a dove-tailed groove 8and carries on one of its lateral ledges the teeth 9. In the dovetailedgroove 8 of the bar 4 is guided the casing or frame 13 of the sewingmachine by means of its foot 10 which also has the shape of a dove-tail,and the said frame is positively moved by means of the wheel 21 meshingwith the teeth 9 of the bar 4. The sewing machine itself consists of anarm 11 secured to the casing or frame 13, and an arm 14 pivotallymounted by means of a pin 12 in the casing 13; the said arm 14 tends toremain extended in the upper position by reason of a helical spring 15and is provided with an extension projecting beyond its pivot point andformed as a toothed segment 16. This toothed segment 16 engages with thetoothed wheel 17 mounted in the frame 13 and engaging with the teeth 18of the needle bar 19. By depressing the lever 14, the needle bar isconsequently moved downward, and the needle 20 carried through thelongitudinal slots of the guide bar 4 and of the jaws of the forceps,while on the downward pressure acting on the arm 14 ceasing, the saidarm will return to the upper position under the action of the helicalspring 15, and will raise again the needle bar by means of the toothedgearing 16, 17, 18.

The toothed wheel 17 is twice as wide as the toothed segment 16, and inaddition to the latter, is also in engagement with a toothed segment 22which is rotatably mounted in the frame 13 by means of a pin 23 and isprovided with a backward projection 24 to which is pivoted the rod 26oscillating the shuttle 25. The rod 26 is provided with a longitudinalslot through which projects the pin 27 which engages the shuttle, sothat by shifting the pin 27 in the longitudinal slot of the rod 26, theamplitude of oscillation of the shuttle may be modified. In the casingor frame is, moreover, arranged in the usual manner the thread guide eye28, the loop drawer (tightener) 29, the device 30 for regulating thetension of the upper part of the thread, and the spool holder 31 which,for insuring aseptic work ing, is surrounded with a perforated casing.

In order that the sewing machine should be advanced at each depressionof the lever 14 to the extent of a stitch, to the segment 16 isconnected a pawl 32 which, during the depression, advances the toothedwheel 21 to the extent of one tooth, but during the raising of the leversprings back over the toothed wheel into the next gap between the teeth,the spring 33 mounted in the frame preventing the wheel 21 from turningback.

To the upper one of the two longitudinally slotted jaws 2, 3 of theforceps 1 of the modification shown in Figs. 4 to 6, is secured thelongitudinally slotted bar 4 provided with a dove-tail groove andcarrying on its lateral ledge the tooth rack 9 as in the previousconstruction. In the groove of the said bar is guided, by means of asuitable foot, the frame 36 of the sewing machine which projectsdownward with an arm 40 beyond the bottom aw 2 of the forcops, and atits free end forms a bearing for the disk 39 secured to the crank handle41. To the said disk 39 is connected a rod 35 connected to the needlebar, so that by rotating the disk 39 by means of the crank handle 41,the needle is moved up and down in the longitudinal slots of the jaws ofthe forceps, and a chain stitch is produced in a well known manner byrotating a gripper 44 mounted on the spindle of the crank disk 39.

In order to advance the sewing machine after the formation of eachstitch to the length of a stitch, to the crank disk 39 is secured a pin42 projecting toward the frame and cooperating with a feed wheel 38mounted on the casing and having the shape of a Geneva wheel, in suchmanner that for each revolution of the crank disk, the wheel 38 ispartially rotated. Moreover to the spindle 37 of the feed wheel 38 isconnected a toothed wheel 43 engaging with the toothed rack 9, therotation of the feed wheel 38 being transmitted to the toothed wheel 43,and in that way the machine frame is intermittently advanced to thelength of a stitch.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declarethat what we claim is 1. In combination with a forceps provided withjaws, a frame movably mounted on said forceps, a jaw of the forceps being provided with a guiding groove, said frame being provided with aprojection extending into said guiding groove, a needle slidably securedin said frame, means for reciprocating the needle with respect to theframe and means for intermittently displacing said frame on saidforceps.

2. In combination with a forceps provided with jaws, a frame movablymounted on said forceps, a needle slidable on the frame, a rackbardisposed on a jaw of said forceps, a gear rotatably mounted on saidframe and in engagement with said rackbar, means for reciprocating theneedle through the forceps and means for actuating said gear.

3. In combination with a forceps, a frame movably mounted on saidforceps, a rackbar rlgldly fastened on sald forceps, a gear rotatablysecured to said frame, a needle slidably guided in said frame, means forreciprocating said needle through said forceps, and means for actuatingsaid gear while the needle is moving in a certain direction.

4. Incombination with a forceps provided with slotted jaws, a framemovably mounted on said forceps, a rackbar rigidly fastened to one ofsaid jaws, a gear rotatably secured in said frame and in engagement withsaid rackbar, a needle rod slidably guided in said frame, a needlecarried by said rod, a crank disk rotatably mounted in said frame, aconnecting rod between said disk and said needle rod and means in 00-action with said disk for intermittently rotating said gear.

5. In combination with aforceps provided with slotted jaws, a framemovably mounted on one of said jaws, a rackbar rigidly secured to one ofsaid jaws, a gear rotatably mounted in said frame and in engagement withsaid rackbar, a needle rod guided in said frame, a needle carried bysaid rod, a crank disk mounted in said frame, a connecting rod pivotallysecured to said disk and to said rod, a Geneva wheel rotatably mountedin said frame and connected with said gear and means in coaction withsaid cam disk for intermittently rotating said Geneva wheel.

6. In combination with a forceps provided with slotted jaws, a framemovably mounted on one of said jaws, a rackbar rigidly secured to one ofsaid jaws, a gear rotatably mounted in said frame and in engagement withsaid rackbar, a needle rod guided in said frame, a needle carried bysaid rod, a crank disk mounted in said frame, a connecting rod pivotallysecured to said disk and said needle rod for reciprocating said needlethrough the slots in said jaws, a Geneva wheel in operative connectionwith said gear, and a pin fastened to said disk and adapted toperiodically engage said Geneva wheel in every revolution of the disk.

In testimony whereof we afiiX our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

FLORIAN HAHN. RUDOLF GRAF.

"Witnesses Hummer-r FIETI-I, OSCAR BOOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

